opus
- 1A single work, especially a work of art, regarded as a finished product of creative effort.
Critics regard the symphony as the composer's defining opus.
The sculptor unveiled the marble opus that had consumed his final decade.
UsagePlural opuses or opera. Magnum opus means someone's greatest work.
Similarwork, creation, piece, masterpiece
- 2A musical composition or set of compositions given a number that shows its place in the order of a composer's published works.
The pianist closed the recital with Chopin's Opus 10, a set of twelve études.
Her new recording covers the composer's early piano works, from Opus 1 through Opus 9.
UsageShortened to Op. before a number: Op. 59. For the plural, opuses avoids confusion with opera.
Note
A cataloging word as much as a musical one: in print it shrinks to Op. before a number, as in Beethoven's "Razumovsky" Quartets, Op. 59. One number can gather a whole set of pieces, as it does for those quartets. The word is borrowed straight from Latin, and its plural is either opuses or the Latin opera.
Checked 3 Nov 2026 · 5 facts
- Opus is abbreviated as Op. before a number. en.wiktionary.org
- Beethoven's Razumovsky Quartets carry opus number 59. beethoven.de
- One opus number covers the whole set of these three quartets. beethoven.de
- English opus was borrowed directly from Latin. en.wiktionary.org
- Opuses and opera are English plurals of opus; opera is the Latin plural. en.wiktionary.org
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of opus apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
Borrowed from the Latin word opus.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
- English opus was borrowed from Latin opus. en.wiktionary.org